Not in the Pink; Starbucks Being Remodeled

Yes. Pinkberry on the corner of State and De la Guerra streets is closed and the Starbucks across the street is shut down – but just for a week for remodeling.

What are the coffee-holics at city hall going to do? Where are frozen yogurt addicts going to get their fix?

Well, there are three more Starbucks within walking distance of Del La Guerra: at Cota and State streets, Victoria and State streets and Carrillo and De la Vina streets. Two of those recently were remodeled.

The De la Guerra Starbucks is expected to reopen Sept. 29.

Not to worry frozen yogurt fans. Plenty of those shops can be found up and down the main drag, too.

Meanwhile, some craft beer lovers might be mourning the pending departure of Santa Barbara Brewing Co. at State and Haley streets. It’s morphing into a restaurant and brewery to be called Cruisery.

Aron Ashland, former Sandbar manager and now Wine Therapy owner, is planning to open the new eatery to replace SB Brew Co. Of course, with anything on State Street, the permitting process will tell exactly when the new place will open.

Ashland was successful in having Sandbar reopen quickly after a fire caused some $75,000 in damage to that tequila bar. Apparently, Ashland used the city’s Accelerate program to speed up the permitting process.

Sandbar appears to be one of the few businesses to benefit from that process so far, although the city council has beefed it up in an effort to speed up the permitting process for businesses trying to open sooner than later on the city’s most visible commercial corridor.